Ernie Davis statue returns to campus residence

Ernie Davis is holding an era-appropriate helmet along with shoes scrubbed clean of anything that says, Nike.

No more Nike. No more swooshes.

Syracuse, NY -- Without fanfare - and without the word Nike or its iconic swooshes anywhere - the Ernie Davis statue has been returned to its place on the campus of Syracuse University.

The statue by sculptor Bruno Lucchesi was quietly placed back on its pedestal Tuesday morning during spring break at the university. It had been in storage for weeks after adjustments were made to the statue to fix the helmet and footwear.

"We appreciate Bruno's hard work in sculpting this beautiful statue and working with us to make the necessary adjustments," said SU director of athletics Daryl Gross in a statement posted on SUAthletics.com. "We are so pleased that the statue is now back in place. It will serve as a lasting tribute to a great man who has meant so much to our University and to the sport of football."

The statue was unveiled last fall around the premier of the motion picture "The Express," the story of Davis, the former Syracuse University running back great. However, the statue had modern touches such as Nike cleats and a modern facemask. The Nike company had yet to be unleashed on the world when Davis played for the Orangemen between 1959 and 1961.

The university removed the statue shortly after the uniform issues were discovered and Lucchesi modified the work. The helmet now has a double-bar face mask and more of a square shape. The word Nike has been moved from the back of the cleats along with the swoosh symbol on the side.

The statue is located between the Carrier Dome and the university quad.